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Preventing a "turtled" PT?


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Hi all,

 

Now before you say "you should be skillful enough to not turtle a PT" I'm sticking with the story that I was distracted by a Legs to Russia Mermaid and gust flipped it in the Rangi channel! :oops:

 

Now down to business... :problem:

 

How does one prevent the PT turtling? :problem: Any little "gadgets" out there to prevent it when you venture out for a play? I don't really want to go down the track of a "hobie bob" nor am I going with the milk bottle trick...Hmmmm :think:

 

Anything else the fraternity can think of to create a bit more bouyancy in the mast head? KM if your online...value your opinion... :thumbup:

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And just how do I fit into upside down multis I wonder. Knot saying I haven't done it on PT's and the entire range of Hobies but the implication ... Oh good golly ;) :lol:

 

About the only thing I can think of and something I do when I know it's moved 1% past the point of no return is move fast :)

 

The is the Windrush 'I can't sail' advertising ball on the top of theirs and quite rightly so from watching many :)

 

I made a few PT masts and put plugs inside them just above the hounds and pushed one down under the masthead fitting. That way the top few meters of the rig is watertight, which must help at least a little. I'd also try to seal rivet heads and places water can get in quick. The longer the mast is full of air the slower it'll sink theory.

 

Besides that about all I can think off without having 'I can't sail' adverts on the top is either knot capsize or when you do move fast. But I'd suggest if you sail in 'no capsize' mode you will either get bored fast or gain a drinking issue, possibly both.

 

Sloop JB is the Crew PT guru and I'm sure he's gone tits up on more than one occasion. Sloop sweetie, where are you?

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From my Hobie 16 days I can tell you a hobie with a sealed mast is much easier to right than one that leaks. They still turn tutle but you just sit on the leward hull and the windward one pops up, catchs the wind on the tramp and blows itself up..

 

An unsealed mast full of water can have quite alot of momentum to try and stop when you've just righted the boat - if you didn't throw your body on the windward hull, they would quite often go over again - which sucked :thumbdown:

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The suggestion about sealing the mast is spot on. A PT with a mast full of water will probably have to be towed back up. Make sure the mast head seal is substantial - the pressure 6m down will blow it otherwise.

 

Another good idea is to have a righting rope tied to something strong and stuffed into each end of the front beam - gives you something to heave on for more purchase (just make sure your feet are on the chines - the flat bits aren't too stong!).

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Knew I'd get some p*ss taken outta me, it's expected :clap:

 

Sealed-mast seems a better option though, I wouldn't say I couldn't sail! Wish I had gone tits up though for a leggy italian bird, seems like a worthy sacrifice rather than just not paying attention :shh:

 

How do you seal the shrouds holes though? Still have to pack up at end of the day...

 

Hopefully everyone puts in their coin on this one :sailor:

 

KM, I forget your the bondage expert !! :twisted: :twisted: :D

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Dab of sillycone in the rivets, around the masthead fitting (depends on which fitting means what if any openings left) and where you can.

 

Hard to 'plug' it with all the fittings on, you really need to pop the masthead fitting off to do that well. Which isn't that tricky really. Drill out the rivits and then carefully (so it doesn't flop over) push a bung down as far as you can to the hounds. If the masthead fitting has big holes you can push another plug down just under that as well. Some m/h fittings are sealed so they don;t need the top plug.

 

The 'Plug' could be as simple as a bit of 20mm there abouts foam (closed cell, Airex or similar like) with some sillycone to seal it and hold it in place. Cut it a couple of mm's larger than the hole so it's a tight fit. Push it down with plastic pipe or something just a little smaller than the masts ID. It the pusher is too skinny it tend to flip the plug on to it's die and makes it an arse.

 

Do to that should only be a 30min odd (famous last words) exercise but should seal the top airtight. Let the sillycone dry before you wipe out... sorry have a slight slip ;) or the water pressure may move the plug.

 

If the hound fittings are tangs rather than T Balls for example dabing sillycone on the rivets should sort that out.

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Only experience can stop PT playing turtles.

 

There where quite a few PT's transformed into turtles at the Nationals this year, it near happens at the front of the fleet only from the back 2/3's.

 

All PT masts are checked for water tightness (note better than the building industry :oops: :oops: ) yes every rivet is sealed and the mast head is blocked off.

 

Sailing in these conditions requires a bit of practice. I am still learning, I have headed for the gap between the mast and the aft lowers on several occasions.

 

The vang is the most important thing on PT's where reaching, it needs to be it tight to get the leach straight to get the speed out of the boat, but this causes the leeward bow to bury so you need to be able to play with while hanging over the aft beam, dumping the main will also do the same thing, that is twisting the top half of the main off.

While this is all happen you have no visibility as the spray waterblasts every round including your eyes.......

 

But its great fun we have been clocked at 28 kph down at the Bay. :D :D

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How does one prevent the PT turtling? Any little "gadgets" out there to prevent it when you venture out for a play? I don't really want to go down the track of a "hobie bob" nor am I going with the milk bottle trick...Hmmmm

 

1. Leave it in the garage,it will never turn turtle.

2. Tie a builders block to a good bit of line and hang below the tramp.

3. strap on a third hull.

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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3021 nice :thumbup: :clap: :clap:

 

I was thinking more along the lines of days when a novice, not necessarily myself took the PT out.

 

Typical Laser-Sailor Response :eh: :|

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thought as much. I have not had the pleasure of playing with a PT, maybe I should. I did race maricat's and in the wrong hands in the wrong conditions they would bite you in the butt

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such a popular boat, with quite a strong fleet, and yet they remain so cheap, I was looking on trade Me and was surprised how how liitle you could get one for. MMM how much more space in my shed :think:

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I still think if I'm observing/supervising a novice cat-sailor that secretly I wish they would PP or capsise :twisted: :twisted:

 

Only because I can give the rescue rib some exercise and to wet her bum :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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